


After the Play

by PoH



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, One-sided Aang/Katara (Avatar), Zutara Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25555771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoH/pseuds/PoH
Summary: Katara learns two things after watching the Ember Island Players perform: 1) Zuko is still shaken up about what he saw in the final scene, and 2) he and Aang have the exact same level of tact.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 118





	After the Play

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've been a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender for years, but actually didn't care much for either Aang/Katara or Zuko/Katara. I've been on Team "Let Everyone in the Gang Be Friends" (and still am to an extent). But idk, after it came back on Netflix, I've started to really like Zutara. So I decided to try writing out something that I low-key wish had happened in canon. Happy Zutara Week, everyone!

Aside from Toph’s snores and the gurgling of the fountain, there was peace and quiet inside the Fire Lord’s summer home. Yet Zuko couldn’t hear any of it, even as he sat at the edge of the fountain in the courtyard. The only sounds he could hear were the loud cheers and applause from his own subjects. Rising to their feet, clapping their hands, whistling, over and over. Applauding the actress who’d portrayed Azula on stage as she struck down the actor that played him.

“Hey, everything okay?”

Zuko lifted his head. Katara hung back on the other side of the courtyard, watching him. “I’m fine. You?” he asked. She shrugged and kept her distance. It took another second for him to recognize her hesitation. “You can sit here too, if you want.” Katara visibly relaxed and accepted the invitation. Even after spending a few weeks traveling together, and even after she’d said she forgave him, they still hadn’t quite overcome the awkwardness that came with changing from enemies to friends. He often hesitated around her too.

“You’re still thinking about how that play ended, aren’t you?” she asked.

“There’s a chance that after Aang defeats my father, I might have to take over as Fire Lord. And tonight I saw that all of my potential subjects would rather see Azula burn me to death.”

“That was just one audience,” said Katara gently.

“I think it’s safe to say that the rest of the nation agrees with them,” replied Zuko.

“No, they don’t. I'll admit, before I started traveling with Aang and Sokka, I used to think of the Fire Nation as one faceless enemy, and that everyone who lived there had to be just as evil as the soldiers invading our homes. But it’s not true. The Fire Nation needs to be stopped, but it’s more than just those who want to conquer our world. It’s a big country full of lots of different people with their own unique experiences and opinions. I’m sure plenty of them oppose your father’s actions and would be happy to see you take the throne.”

“Yeah, but what am I supposed to do about the ones who wish I was dead?” asked Zuko.

“I don’t know. It’s hard to think about the future right now. First we have to win the war against your father.” Katara laid a hand on his shoulder. “But I do know this much: whatever happens, the rest of us will be there for you. You’re part of the team now, Zuko, and you’re our friend. We’ll always have your back.”

Zuko smiled a little. “Thanks, Katara.” He looked up at her out of the corner of his eye. “So…is this the part where you try to cheer me up by crying and making a cheesy speech about hope?”

“ _No_.” Katara flicked some of the water from the fountain at him. “You know everything in that play was totally exaggerated.”

“Yeah. Definitely. I mean, some of it was pretty accurate, but most of it…”

“Pretty accurate? Like _what?_ ”

“You know, like the stuff with me chasing you guys and some of the conversations we all had? I mean, yeah, most of it was exaggerated, but it is surprising how much that playwright got right.” Zuko looked down at his feet. He should have realized what an uncomfortable experience it would be to see his failures portrayed on stage. But he hadn’t anticipated how much they would show. His failure at the North Pole, the insults he’d shouted at his uncle, the takeover of Ba Sing Se, even that time he spent underground with Katara…

Zuko winced. He’d almost forgotten about _that_ part. “Uh…well…they did get some stuff wrong…” He scratched the back of his head. “Which, uh, reminds me…you know that part when we got captured by the Dai Li and we were in the underground prison…?”

Katara blushed. Neither one of them could look the other in the face. “Oh yeah. That. Listen, that wasn’t anything I would have said normally. I mean, I don’t know how I feel about Aang, but, you know…I…” She stammered and played with the strands of her hair.

“It’s okay. I understand. I don’t feel that way either.”

“Good,” said Katara. “I mean, it’s not like I don’t like you, but…well…”

“Yeah.” Zuko still couldn’t look Katara in the eye. “Stupid play.”

Katara laughed. “I know, right? Can you imagine? Us kissing in a prison cell when there’s a war going on outside and we might die? Totally ridiculous, right?”

“Yeah.” Zuko blushed. “Us. Kissing. In the middle of a war. That’d be terrible.”

Katara blinked. “… _excuse me?_ ”

* * *

Aang couldn’t sleep. When he closed his eyes, he saw the rows and rows of fake flames that the Ember Island Players created to celebrate the planned destruction of the world at Fire Lord Ozai’s hands. And when he wasn’t thinking about how much the people in the audience wanted to watch him and his friends die, he was thinking about how much they wanted Katara to end up with _Zuko_. He rubbed his eyes and left his bedroom. Maybe a visit with Appa would help. Meditation and pep talks were soothing, but there was nothing like snuggling against the bison’s fur.

Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard shouts coming from the courtyard. Katara stormed inside. “Katara! What’s wrong?” cried Aang.

Katara glared at him. “Oh, nothing, Aang. Apparently, if there’s one thing I’ve learned this summer, it’s that there’s a fate worse than death, and that’s _kissing me!_ ”

“That’s not what I said!” Zuko protested, “Katara, wait! Come back!” She made a disgusted noise and stomped up the wooden staircase. Zuko tried to run after her and got knocked down by a jet of water. “All I said was that I’d rather kiss you than be dead!” he shouted after her.

Aang winced. “Oof. Yeah. She hates that compliment.”

“See? _See?_ Aang knows it’s a compliment!”

“Well, isn’t that nice? You two can kiss each other for all I care!” Katara slammed the door to her bedroom shut.

Zuko flopped back against the floor and groaned. “What’s the matter with her? What did I _say?_ ”

Aang shrugged. “I have no idea.”


End file.
